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William Kenneth Alphin (Big Kenny), an award-winning multi-platinum artist, songwriter, and producer, who's also one half of the chart-topping duo Big & Rich, broke the mold with his Green Hills home, which he and his family affectionately call Chateau Di Amore.
The construction began in 2006 and continued with the completion of an immaculate music studio in 2008. With his wife, Christiev Alphin, a designer and wardrobe stylist, Kenny set out to build a home where their creative family could feel inspired.
'Kenny decorated the outside, and I took on the biggest styling job of my life by tackling the inside,” Christiev says. 'I shopped just like I do for any artist or celebrity, by purchasing stand out pieces that immediately felt like us, from lamps, to rugs and art. Neither of us like the shiny, brand new look. We both love the natural, warm and worn feel, as if a piece has traveled and has a story.”
Together with their four sons, the couple has called Chateau Di Amore home since its construction. (They've lived in Nashville since 1994.) The private estate is located in Green Hills and was built with strong attention to detail and a sense of refinementthe beautifully groomed grounds are enclosed with a custom iron and woodwork fence, and feature a massive garden, swimming pool, and other spaces for exercising, dining, and relaxing. It's the ultimate entertaining space.
The home also features an original 1800s-era Irish pub that was transported with its original stain glass doors and ceiling. It's a gathering space in the home that brings people together, just like those found in Ireland. 'The pub is traditionally a family gathering place after church, weddings, funerals, birthday parties. It's a place where you share, discuss, play music, sing songs, listen, and learn from family members and neighbors,” Christiev says. 'It's a welcoming place where everybody really does know your name. Why not have this in your home?”
The house also includes a spacious and fully equipped gym with weights and machines, a comfortable but elegant kitchen, and a 1,000 bottle, European-influenced wine cellar, designed to accommodate intimate dinner parties for up to 14 guests. There's also a private apartment with two bedrooms and more than 800 square feet of covered outdoor porch space.
Music is certainly at the core of the home. The Last Dollar Studio is a recording studio and creative facility set within the property. The detached 4,055 square-foot studio even includes its own production offices. Kenny conceptualized the space as a place to write, produce, and record music; it was built by Michael Cronin.
'We built the studio to have the vibe of a classic church structure, complete with a stairwell [that leads] to a four-story bell tower, which gives an amazing private space and view over the neighborhood,” Kenny says. 'There's inspiration everywhere and that vibe just soaks into the walls. Oh, and did I mention it's a great place to throw a party?”
But beyond all of the special effects and frills, what the couple loves most about Chateau Di Amore is how it truly feels like home. 'It's welcoming. It's not a stuffy house, and each room feels warm. It feels like us,” Chrisiev says. 'Over the years, I've come up with many different adjectives to describe our house, but it comes down to the basics. French, plus Italian, plus farm boy. That's us!”
Kenny adds, 'this property is at the epicenter of the most perfect place to live and work in the city of Nashville. It's convenient to everything the city has to offer, yet nestled in a quiet and beautiful neighborhood minutes from everything. It's an oasis in the middle of the metropolis.”
Realtor Amy Jackson Smith, Worth Properties, 615-300-1025 Photos by Donna Yancey.